Locomotive-ash-pan structure



Jan. 28, 1930. w, M sHEEHAN 1,745,123

LOCOMOTIVE ASH PAN STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 11. 1926 rQ ToR/VE Y6 PatentedJan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM M. SHEEIIAN, OF ST.LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO GENERAL STEEL CASTINGS CORPORATION, OF GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS, A COR-PORATION OF DELAWARE LOCOMOTIVE-ASH-PAN STRUCTURE Application filedDecember 11, 1926. Serial No. 154,129.

My invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists in animproved locomotive ash pan structure.

In order to produce effective combustion in locomotive fireboxes, it isessential that there be a constant free passage of air to the undersideof grates. Experience has demonstrated that the combined area of inletsfor this air should. be in a definite proportion to the area of thegrate. These inlets should be so formed as to prevent ashes or livecoals being blown laterally from the ashpan.

To take care of this, the usual design of ash-pan includes a horizontalor slightly sloping portion extending beneath and to the outside of thefirebox mud ring and flanged upwardly at the outside of the mud ring,but spaced laterally from the mud ring far enough to provide a singleair inlet passage between the mud ring and the ash-pan and having anarea equivalent to the space between mud ring and horizontal wall. Inthe effort to increase the capacity of locomotive boilers, the grateareas of fireboxes have been enlarged but increases in width have beenlimited by the projection of ash-pan beyond the mud ring which increaseswith the larger grate areas, causing the overall dimensions of ash-panto approach the clearance limits. This necessitates lengthening thefirebox, thereby producing a less desirable stoking condition and anincrease in locomotive length. It is therefore highly desirable toreduce the distance beyond the mud rings to which the ash-pan mustextend, so that fireboxes may be correspondingly widened, while at thesame time maintaining the required area of air inlet passages.

The main object of my invention is to provide an ash pan structure inwhich a maximum width of firebox may be maintained without extending theash pan beyond the clearance limits and in which the area of the airpassage between the ash pan and mud ring may be maintained andpreferably increased beyond that usually provided.

I obtain this object by utilizing an ashpan having a horizontal orslightly sloping portion extending outwardly from the hopper and spacedbelow the mud ring, the distance required for air inlet area, and havingits outer portion formed of two or more spaced sections which overlapeach other,

forming deflectors for preventing ashes or live coals being blownlaterally from ash-pan,

but at the same time permitting the outer section of the wall to bespaced a greater distance from the mud ring. The sum of the spacesbetween the wall sections and between the inner section and the mud ringprovide increased area of the air inlet.

An additional object of my invention is to produce an ash paneconomically and preferably in the form of a cast metal structure.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment ofmy invention- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved ash pan withthe adjacent locomotive wheels and end of the firebox indicated in dotand dash lines.

Figure 2 is in part a transverse vertical section taken on line 22 ofFigure l and in part a rear end elevation of the ash pan shown in Figure1.

The general shape of the ash pan is similar to any well known panstructure and includes slightly inclined portions 1 which extendinwardly from outside of the mud ring beneath the grate bars and overthe trailer truck wheels and frame and also includes one or more hopperportions 2 through which the ashes are discharged to the road bed.

Each of the portions 1 of the ash pan terminates in an outwardly andupwardly extending flange 3, the upper edge of which is a substantialdistance below the level of the bottom of the mud ring 4. A series ofelements 5 project inwardly and u awardly from the inner face of flange3 an carry a sec-; ondary wall section or flange 6 which extendsupwardly and outwardly from a point beneath the level of the bottom ofmud ring 4 to a point above such level. I illustrate flanges 3 and 6 asbeing curved and concentrio with each other but this particular shapeand relation is not essential. Preferably, several parts of the ash panconstruction including flanges 3, ribs 5 and flanges 6 are formedintegrally with each other and in my preferred form these parts areformed by casting.

I have shown the entire structure as composed of two castings 7 and 8forming, respectively, the from and rear portions of the entire ash panand overlapped and riveted together at their adjacentends, but Obviouslythe whole structure could consist of a si 18 structura p ates andshapes.

It is believed that the advantages of the construction illustrated anddescribed by me are apparent, it being clear that a wider firebox withinclearance limits can be obtained and that a greater amount of air canpass beneath the mud ring to the firebox than would be the case if theouter portion of the ash-pain terminated with a single air inlet in theusual manner which would be the case were flanges 6 to be omitted andflanges 3 extended upwardly to level of bottom of mud ring as would benecessary to prevent the outward passage of ashes or coals from thefirebox beneath the mud ring.

, Various modifications in the details of my ring an ash structure maybe made without departing hem-the spirit thereof and I contemplate theexclusive use of such modifications as fall within the scope of myclaims.

I claim:

1. In a lommotivemud ring and ash pan assembly, spaced ash panelementsextending longitudinally of the mud ring and spaced therefrom toprovide an air inlet passage between the mud ring and one of saidelements and to provide an additional air inlet passage between saidelements, the upright portions of said elements overlapping each otherto provide an ash deflector beneath the mud ring and extending laterallybeyond the same.

2. A locomotive ash pan having a side wall oomplisingspaeed sectionsforming an air inlet passage between them adapted to extend laterallybeyond a mud ring with which the ash pan is assembled and to terminateat its inner end outside of the area bounded by said mud ring.

8. In a locomotivefire box structure, a mud an hopper, a memberextending from outside of the mud ring to below the bottom'of the mudring and providing an air passe between said member and mud ring leadingto the interior of the fire box, and an ash pan wall extending fromoutside of said mud ring and said wall to said hopper and providing anadditional air passage below said member terminating abreast of thetennimtion of said first mentioned air paslongitudinally of and adjacentto the mad and spamd therefrom to proil -gala passage between the mudipiece or could be fabricated of ring and one of said elements and toprovide an additional air inlet passage between said elements, both ofsaid passages tern'iinating at their inner ends' outside of the plane ofthe inner face of the mud ring.

5. In a locomotive fire box mud ring and ash pan assembly, a mud ringapproaching the clearance limit for the width of the locomotive at thatpoint, an ash pan main side wall extending laterally a relatively shortdistance beyond the mud ring and terminating within the prescribedclearance limit and located a substantial distance below said mud ringto provide adequate air passage between them for a maximum grate area,and a supplementary side wall on said ash pan wlthm said main wall andextending from outside of said mud ring to a point below the same toprovide an ash seal within said air passage.

6. In a locomotive fire box mud ring and ash pan assembly, a mud ringapproaching the clearance limit for the width of the locomotive at thatpoint, an ash pan main side wall extending outwardly beneath said mudring and terminating in an upwardly curved section having its edge belowsaid mud ring and Within the prescribed clearance limit and asubstantial distance from said mud ring to provide an adequate airpassage for a maximum grate area, and a supplementary side wall withinsaid main side wall and curving from outside of said mud ring above thelevel of the bottom thereof to below said level and within the outeredge of said main side wall to provide an ash seal within said airpassage.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature this 7th day ofDecember, 1926.

VILLIAM M. SHEEHAN.

